The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/299859
but he did the most with his touches, rushing for a team-high 33 yards and boasting a team-best 5.5 yards per carry. While sophomore tailbacks De'Veon Smith and Derrick Green managed only 46 yards on 15 attempts (3.1-yard av- erage), Hayes proved he could make something out of the narrow holes a still inconsistent offensive line provided. Best Player, Defense: Matched up with junior Devin Funchess, sophomore cornerback Jourdan Lewis held Funchess to a single catch for 10 yards despite the fact Funchess was targeted five times. The 5-10, 174-pound Lewis recorded two interceptions and one pass broken up, and demonstrated the type of physical, in-your-face coverage that the Wolverines' defensive backfield has been lacking since Donovan Warren was at his peak as a sophomore in 2008. Most Impressive Rookie: While early enrollee wide receiver Freddy Canteen had a nice grab, and offensive tackle Mason Cole started with the ones on the left side of the line, nose tackle Bryan Mone enjoyed the best afternoon. The 6-4, 315-pounder played on U-M's second-string line and he proved disruptive, recording a tackle for loss and creating a second stop behind the line of scrim- mage with his penetration into the offensive backfield. Best Position Group: Michigan's quarterbacks had a difficult day throwing against the Wolverines' secondary, which limited the signal-callers to a 7-of-21 showing (33.0 percent) for 133 yards with two interceptions. Lewis was the star, but senior cornerback Ray Taylor and redshirt junior Blake Countess were also solid in coverage, and U-M's safeties made a number of strong plays on the ball while demonstrating an ability to contribute to run defense. Best Pass: Fifth-year senior Devin Gardner did not shine, completing only 2 of 9 passes for 55 yards, but he did hook up with Canteen for a 45-yard recep- tion early in the scrimmage. With Canteen lined up in the slot, the rookie took advantage of a coverage mismatch, slicing through the middle of the defense to gain Gardner's attention. Catching the ball in stride, he bolted for the far sideline and raced an additional 15 yards before being knocked out of bounds. Best Run: With the offensive line struggles, Smith averaged only 3.2 yards per carry on 10 rushes, but he did show what he's capable of with a nice 17-yard run. Taking the handoff, he found a cutback lane, burst through the hole and took on his defensive back teammates, lowering his shoulder to churn out a few more yards after contact. Best Defensive Play: On both of his picks, Lewis took advantage of poorly thrown balls, cutting in front of would-be targets. However, the play of the day was watching the slight Delonte Hollowell — the senior corner is 5-9, 175 — lower the boom on sophomore receiver Da'Mario Jones. With Jones reaching out for a slant pass, Hollowell closed the three yards between them and deliv- ered a bone-crushing hit, separating Jones from the ball. — Michael Spath